Physical Features of Asia

Mr. Broughman

Monday, April 7, 2014

The Himalayan Mountains

• How do the Himalayan Mountains impact life in Asia?– (1) Population Few people live in the

Himalayan Mountains– (2) Settlement / Movement The southern

side of the mountains is suitable for life and agriculture

– (3) Climates Southern side is tropical; northern side is arid plateau and desert

Planet Earth Himalayan Clip

Climate Regions

Climate regions in Oriental Asia vary from tropical rainforest along the equator to arid continental climates in the interior portion of the continent.

Pacific Ring of Fire

Pacific Ring of Fire

The Pacific Ring of Fire (previous page) is located along the rim of the Pacific Ocean and the site of major tectonic plate activity like earthquakes and volcanoes.

• Other types of natural disasters in Asia:– (1) Typhoons Similar to hurricanes except they

originate in the Pacific– (2) Monsoons Seasonal rains and winds in the

South of Asia– (3) Tsunami Tidal waves as result of natural

disasters (i.e. earthquakes)

JapABanese Tsunami 2011

Fukushima: Three Years Later

Impacts of Water

• In what ways does water (rivers, seas, and ocean currents) influence life in Asia?– Agriculture, climate, trade, transportation

• Yellow soil and silt called loess is what makes the Yellow River the color that it is. – How does loess contribute to agricultural

production in Asia?• When rivers flood, they deposit silt along the

banks, thus producing fertile soils for growing.

1. Beijing, China

2. Tokyo, Japan

3. New Delhi, India

4. Bangkok, Thailand

5. Pyongyang, North Korea

6. Seoul, South Korea